The weight reduction of small arms weapons is a significant concern for a soldier. A significant portion of the weight of individual and crew served weapons is in the barrel of the weapon. Much of the additional weight is necessary, not only to withstand the pressure of firing the cartridge, but also as a heat sink to absorb the thermal energy of firing the weapon.
In fact, machine guns typically have a removable, secondary barrel for the purpose of replacing the barrel after firing for a short time, in order to allow the primary barrel to cool. This additional barrel adds weight and complexity to the weapon.
What is therefore needed is a device for cooling the weapon barrel with significant weight reduction. In other terms, it would be desirable to solve the cooling problem and to remove the redundant weight associated with the need for a second barrel. Furthermore, since the barrel life is primarily a function of the barrel temperature, barrels fired at lower temperatures last significantly longer. As a result, it would be desirable to extend the life of the barrel by reducing its operation temperature. Prior to the advent of the present invention, the need for such a cooling means has heretofore remained unsatisfied.